What the...

This is for all of you who just love to say that my house is always clean!

Holy Crap! What happened?! Where was I? I definitely couldn't have been BLOGGING! And I certainly would NEVER leave my sweet girls unattended long enough to make such a mess!

It's a mystery, but made for a very good "picture of the day!"

Miss Crockely the Platypus

Yep, that's right, Crockely the Platypus! Macie has recently decided to rename herself. She no longer likes "Macie" and started calling herself Crockely a few weeks ago. It took me awhile to actually figure out what she was trying to say because when she says Crockely it sounds more like "cwockewey", which makes no sense because she speaks absolutely perfect English, except for when she says "Crockely". After about ten minutes, several mispronunciations on my side and an absolute loss of patience on "Crockely's" side I was finally able to decipher the new name. Today she informed me that she was now Crockely the Platypus and we can call her Crockely or Platypus or even both, but absolutely NOT Macie! I asked her if she even knew what a Platypus was and she said it was her. Who knows where this child comes up with her silly ideas!!!

Today Crockely also informed me that when she grows up she is not going to have any kids because she does NOT like babies. I asked her if she was going to get married and she said "No! I don't like babies!" At least she realizes babies and husbands go hand in hand! I then asked her what she was going to do when she grows up since she doesn't want to be a mom and she said she wants to "paint nails and make people's hair a different color they want." I'm glad she realizes what is really important in life! She also said that she is going to babysit Matt's kids, but only Matt's, no one else's. She will also live with us, since she won't have a husband, I'm glad she loves me soooo much!

Crockely is the best little girl ever, I am so happy she is in our family! She is always making me laugh and smile. I love her so much! And look at her pictures, she is freakin' CUTE!!!

Happy Birthday Maya!!!

Maya is finally six years old! She waited for this day for soooo long! Fortunately it turned out to be all that she wanted...and more!

For her friend birthday party she chose to go bowling. At first I thought, no problem! Then I called to book the party and realized we might have to take out a 3rd mortgage just to afford it! I told her if she wanted to go bowling she would have to narrow her invite list to only 5 people. She was so sweet about it, after she narrowed it down to her 5 most favorite friends she said she would even go down to 4 because she knew it was so "spensive". How sweet! That is one thing I just love about her, always putting others before herself. She ended up having a great time bowling over and over and over! She's great at it, she walks right up there and just chucks the ball down the lane like she's throwing a huge boulder across the yard! She even got a few strikes - granted, she did have bumpers, but hey, a strike is a strike, right?! She and her friends also enjoyed pizza, barbie cupcakes and running around like giddy six year old girls with 1 four year old joining in as if she were one of them!

Macie, Akaysha, Katie and Maya
Maya and Jamie

Mark and Maya

Maya wanted a doll house for her birthday because everyone has one except her. We kept telling her we couldn't afford it because her bowling party cost so much. She was so cute and accepting when we would tell her that, but you could see in her face this little glimmer of hope that we might be teasing her. After we got home from bowling we made her stay down stairs while Mark, Macie and I put her "present" together in her room. Macie kept telling her it was BIG, so, of course, she thought is was her doll house. I kept insisting that it wasn't, but that she would still love it - the poor thing was about to go crazy with suspense! When she finally came into her room for her surprise she couldn't stop screaming, it was the best squeal I've ever heard! She was so happy I think she almost cried!

Maya wanted to go to her favorite restaurant for her birthday dinner so we all headed out to Texas Roadhouse! She wanted to share this experience with as many people as she could so she invited Grandma Tracie and Grandpa Ed, Grandma Gloria and Grandpa Bob, Aunt Julie, Uncle Kevin and Cole, Aunt Kellie, Emma and Katelyn, Thomas, Katie and Kristin and of course Matt, Jacks, Macie and Mom and Dad. Imagine a birthday party of that size at Texas Roadhouse - presents, cake and all! Her favorite part was being able to sit on the saddle while everyone yelled "YEE HAA!" She didn't even order dinner she was so excited, she just kept asking, "when are they going to bring over the saddle?" It was so worth it, just look how cute she is sitting there!

Aunt Kellie made Maya one of her famous cakes and Maya loved it! Maya couldn't decide what kind she wanted so she asked Aunt Kellie to surprise her. Maya said it was the cutest cake ever!

Happy Birthday my sweet little princess! I hope you have the best year ever - you deserve it!

2008 Travels Around the World...Or so it Seemed!

This year Mark and I were very fortunate to have the opportunity to travel...a lot! I honestly got to a point where I told Mark that if I saw another airport I was going to scream! The airlines seem to not like us very much and have a tendency of losing our luggage or having the plane take off without us! Never-the-less, all of our trips were full of adventure and extremely fun!

Our first trip was to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. My parents have a time share at the Pueblo Bonita, one of the most amazing resorts I have ever been to! We have so many pictures from that vacation that I will have to do a whole separate post to include all that we did that week! For now here's a little sneak peak!

The famous arch off the coast of Cabo

Mark - The Surfing Pro!

He really did surf more than just the first two feet of the ocean, I'm just a little camera challenged!

Yeah! Jamie finally got to swim with dolphins!

After three trips to Mexico, Mark finally agreed to let me swim with dolphins! I did, however, have to accomplish my goal of finishing my scrapbook room, which probably would have taken me at least a year, rather than my amazing six months - I was extremely motivated! I was definitely rewarded with one of the most amazing experiences of my life!!!

Cabo Night Life at El Sqid Roe and Cabo Wabo

There is no such thing as too much dancing!

~ August, 2008 ~

In September Mark had to go to Seattle, WA for work so I decided to tag along! We were able to have fun exploring in the evenings and at night would walk among the "posh" homeless people who read classics with their dogs while sitting outside Starbucks. Seriously, I have never seen such sophisticated, well-off homeless people in my life! During the day while Mark was working, I did what I do best - SHOPPED!

Pike's Market - Absolutely the most beautiful flowers for amazing prices!

Fresh Seafood of every kind - YUM!!!

That shiny silver thing is a fish - what a fascination, flying dead fish!

View from the Space Needle

A Romantic Dinner Above the City

From Seattle, we flew to San Francisco, CA. Mark also had to work there, too. I spent my time reading Breaking Dawn at the window of a cute little cafe overlooking a sunny California courtyard. So storybook, I know!

When Mark wasn't working we were able to take the famous San Francisco Trolley to the bay. From there we took a boat ride that went to the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz. It was freezing, but definitely worth the adventure!

~ September, 2008 ~

Our next adventure took us to Austin, TX to spend a fun-filled weekend with Sean and Leeza. Mark has always looked forward to his trips with Sean, so I know this one topped his list of vacations for the year! I loved getting to know Leeza better. I loved her from the time I met her over the phone, but just being with her you can't help but be amazed by her, I will forever consider her my sister!
While in Austin we stayed with Sean's good friends, Bill and Chris Wallace, whom we truly came to love. We all had the best time boating on Lake Austin, well maybe all of us - poor Leeza was 8 months pregnant! Whenever Mark was driving we would have to remind him that we didn't want her having a baby on the boat! We also checked out the nightlife of downtown Austin and visited an amazing winery/restaurant which was nestled among beautiful vineyards. I truly fell in love with Austin - it's lush, green, absolutely beautiful and most important - warm!

The best part of this vacation was seeing and feeling the pure joy Mark felt just being with his brother, his hero. After Sean passed away, Leeza told Mark that Sean said our weekend in Austin was one of the best experiences he ever had, we would definitely have to agree and look forward to many more in the eternities! We will forever be grateful to Sean for inviting us to Austin and giving us the precious gift of one last adventure with him during his journey here on earth.

~October, 2008~

Our final vacation for the year was to Las Vegas, NV. We stayed at the Bellagio, which is like being in a royal palace! The room, the service, the pampering...need I say more?

We had a great time hanging out with Tim and Allison. It's so good to have friends who are so fun and who can keep you laughing and enjoying yourself even when you lose your $20 winnings from football betting to playing 21! We also were able to spend time with Danielle, which is always a good time!

~ November, 2008 ~

Yes, we realize that our kids are not in any of these pictures! Honestly, I don't know how this happened! A whole year of vacations and not one of them included our children! How rude! They were, however, well taken care by my wonderful family and our awesome nannies, Katie and Andee. And no, you can't have my nannies info, they're the best and I just don't think I want to share them! J/K, well... maybe not! Anyway, our kids have also realized this extreme unfairness and so all will be made up to them with a trip to Disneyland this spring! I guess as all good things, our time of selfishness must come to an end!

Yes...There Truly is a Happily Ever After

Not long ago, I was talking with one of my best friends and she said that sometimes she hates looking at people's blogs because it makes her depressed to see everybody else's "perfect life". Naturally, that is what we as human beings put forth for everyone to see - all the good. We wouldn't want anyone to know that we have problems or that our life is not perfect, that might make us look weak or unsuccessful. The more I thought about it, I realized this was true and that even I was guilty of "putting on a show". I made it my own personal goal to show our life as it is - the good and the bad.

When Sean died I understood the apprehension of showing the world our "not-so-happy" side. Not because I wanted to hide it, but because it hurt. It took me days to actually write about that experience, even though I had it swimming around in my head non stop. Putting those thoughts and feelings out there for everyone to see made me feel vulnerable, everyone would see that we are not always strong and confident, we have struggles that sometimes are so hard make us question our own faith and ability to continue on.

After sharing our experience about Sean I had a hard time continuing to share our life's journey. I couldn't bear the thought of looking at our blog and not seeing his face, like I shouldn't or maybe even couldn't continue. How wrong I was.

I am so fortunate to be blessed with a husband, who during his darkest hour, has the ability to help me recognize and understand all of the amazing miracles that have come from our hardships. He has taken the hard, bad things and has learned from them. Instead of dwelling on the pain, he has taken that energy and found ways to become a better person. He has taught me that life does go on, regardless of our circumstances and it is our responsibility to decide what we are going to do with the situations that are handed to us in this life. He has helped me understand that "Happily Ever After" is not determined by our circumstances, it is determined by our attitude and what we do as a result of our circumstances.

I want my children to look back on this and see that life is full of ups and downs and good or bad we keep on going and somehow we make it through. Most important, I want them to know that they have the ability to create their own "Happily Ever After".

A Tree to Remember

This year we didn't put up a Christmas tree because we were planning on spending Christmas and the New Year in El Paso, TX. We didn't want to take any chances with a dried out tree left in our house for over two weeks while we were gone! We did, however, decorate everything else in the house to help bring in the Christmas spirit!

As we were driving home from El Paso after Sean's funeral my sister, Julie, called me to see how we were doing. As we were talking I realized that Christmas was only a few days away and I started rambling on about how much I still needed to do to get ready. I remember crying to her that I felt so bad because my kids didn't even have a Christmas tree and I had no idea how I would find time and honestly, the motivation, to decorate a tree for them. Little did I know that my wonderful family had already taken this into consideration and I had nothing to worry about.

Two days earlier my youngest sister, Katie, realized I was going to run into this problem (in my opinion, I think she was inspired). She was determined that her nieces and nephews were going to have a tree for Christmas and she was going to make it happen. As a result, my parents, my sisters, their spouses and kids, my brother and his sweet girlfriend had family night at our house and decorated a tree for our family.

When I walked into the house late that Tuesday night all I could see was Mark standing in our kitchen, facing the family room with a look of awe on his face. At first I was worried about what could be wrong, but then I rounded the corner and was greeted by the warm glow of our Christmas tree, or as I like to call it, our Christmas miracle. I know it might seem a small act of kindness, but for our kids who came in screaming with excitement over something I could not provide them with, I like to call it a blessing.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for raising such amazing children who are always looking out for each other and who have been taught the true meaning of love. I know that it is through your example that small miracles like this happen in our family all the time. Thank you to my brother and sisters and their families for loving us so much and for doing all that you do! My family is truly blessed because of you.

I cannot even count the many blessings and acts of kindness shown to us during this difficult time in our life. Our shoveled walks and driveway, the breakfast and dinner left on our porch, the meals brought in, the phone calls of concern, the listening ear and many, many other responsibilities taken on by others to help make our load lighter. Mark and I would like to express our thanks to all of you, you know who you are and we are grateful for the angels that you have been in our life.

My heart is full of gratitude knowing that God lives and that he watches over us in our times of need. He provides miracles and blessings and most important he fills our hearts with love - not only to those who are in need, but to those who give of themselves and it is my hope and desire that you feel of God's love and ours.

THANK YOU!!!

In Loving Memory of Sean D. Taylor

On December 9, 2008, Mark's brother and best friend tragically passed away. There is no way to describe the heartache and devastation felt by this loss. Although we miss Sean dearly, we know that he is at peace and that brings us great comfort.

There are so many things that we are going to miss about Sean. His unconditional love, his friendship, his great sense of humor and his example. I think one of the things I will miss most is Mark and Sean's daily phone calls. Mark would always get this cute smile of complete happiness and excitement and greet Sean by saying, "Hey Paco!" I don't even know what "paco" means, knowing the two of them it could be some naughty word in Spanish! Regardless, that phrase will truly be missed in our household.

Sean has been a great influence in our life and in the lives of many others. While we were in El Paso we were able to meet many of his friends and employees who all had nothing but wonderful things to say about him. He was always willing to help any one of his friends in any way that he could whether it be giving advice, providing others with things they otherwise could not afford or just lending a listening ear. Sean always made it a point to end every conversation with, "Is there anything you need? Or is there anything I can do for you?" and was always sincere in his asking. He truly desired to do all he could for others. It is our desire take his example and carry on his legacy of being genuine and thoughtful of those around us and doing what we can for others.

We are so grateful for the many wonderful people Sean brought into our life. Leeza is one of the most wonderful people I have ever met. She is strong, courageous, caring and full of unconditional love. I know that she is an angel, sent to be with Sean during his last days on this earth and I know that he loves her with all of his heart and is full of gratitude for the friend and companion she was to him. I also believe his son Christian, is an angel sent to Sean and Lisa. He may be a cute little baby, but his spirit is strong and comforting. I will always treasure the spirit that we felt just being with Leeza and Christian as we sat in Sean and Leeza's room talking about Sean and all of our great memories of him.

We are also happy to have all of Sean's friends surround us during this difficult time. He truly has amazing friends who are all just as caring and giving as he was. We cannot express the gratitude we feel towards those who came and supported us during those first difficult days and who continue to each day. We have made new friendships with so many people who we now consider our close friends, even though we have only known each other for a short time. We heard it said several times that Sean had many friends and they were all friends because of Sean. It's like he was the "hub" of all of the friendships and kept everyone connected together. In honor of Sean we would like to continue those friendships and are happy to be the "hub" that links everyone together!

We love you Sean and we miss you! You will always be in our hearts and in our thoughts! Thank you for being the wonderful person and friend we could always count on. During our hardest moments I like to think of the chorus to one of my favorite songs by Kenny Chesney. I hope that it can also bring comfort and peace to all those who are also mourning your loss - "...the only thing that gets me through is I know, I'll see you again someday."


Sean and Leeza

Mark and Christian

Bill, Sean and Mark - Austin, TX ~ Oct. 2008

Leeza, Sean, Jamie and Mark -Austin, TX ~ Oct. 2008

Mark and Sean - Lake Austin, Oct. 2008